Vanities

GEORGE WAYNE Q&A

June 2004
Vanities
GEORGE WAYNE Q&A
June 2004

Q&A

GEORGE WAYNE

Pierre Cardin, licensed to thrill

He was the first French designer to take haute couture to Japan, in the 1950s, and the first to launch a ready-to-wear line, in the 1960s. In 2004, Pierre Cardin, aged 81, has 600 product licenses worldwide and is one of the richest men in France. Our correspondent asks about the fashion icon's feelings toward other legendary designers, such as Christian Dior and Givenchy, and finds out what continues to drive Cardin after more than 50 years in the business.

George Wayne: Now, don't croak on me, monsieur, but a lot of people actually think that Pierre Cardin is dead.

Pierre Cardin: I am far from dead—I am very much alive.

G.W.Indeed, many would be shocked to realize that you are alive and well, and considered one of the richest men in all of France. P.C. I am the hardest-working man in France.

G.W.What does a multi-millionaire octogenarian like Pierre Cardin do on a typical day these days?

P.C. I work from seven A.M. to eight P.M., and then I go to my theater, L'Espace Cardin, then I go to my restaurant, Maxim's, and from there to my hotel, where I reside.

G.W.And where you wash with Pierre Cardin soap, and towel with a Pierre Cardin towel.

P.C. Absolutely.

G.W.And sleep in Pierre Cardin pajamas.

P.C. And walk around in Pierre Cardin shoes and drink Maxim's water.

G.W.Briefly talk to G. W. about the first 25 years of your life. P.C. When I was a teenager, during the war, I worked with the Red Cross organization, and that's where I learned accounting, which became a verv important asset for me in the future. At the age of 23, I started working for Christian Dior. I was the first person in line to try to get a job at Dior, and I was the first one hired.

G.W.What was he like, Christian Dior?

P.C. He was extremely nice. I also worked with Jean Cocteau on his movie La Belle et La Bete—Beauty and the Beast—for which I designed the costumes.

G.W.When did you decide to go out on your own?

P.C. In 1950, and almost immediately people like Eugenia Sheppard and Carmel Snow asked me to come to America and meet with Diana Vreeland. My collection was an immediate success. G.W.So do you still have vivid memories of the very first collection you ever did?

P.C. Completely. I especially remember making this coat, which I called the "red cross" coat, which has been copied at least 300,000 times.

G.W.Pierre Cardin once said, "I have the most important name in the world!' Do you still feel that way?

P.C. There are other important names, but I am still very popular. G.W.Do you have any idea how many licensing agreements fall under the name Pierre Cardin?

P.C. Of course—there are about 600.

G.W.Of all the designers today, who gets the outstanding seal of approval from Pierre Cardin?

P.C. I am friendly with Givenchy, but he has already sold his fashion house.

G.W.Tell G. W. about that monstrosity of a house you own in the South of France. Who built it, and what was the idea behind it?

P.C. It was built 10 years ago, and it is based on the idea of the human cell. And the way the house was built, there are no angles, there is never an angle, and the views are spectacular. It was designed by the architect Antti Lovag, from Lithuania. I call it the Bubble Palace.

G.W.You have always been future fashion: from the moment you started making your statement in the 60s, Pierre Cardin has never been about the past. He's always been future perfect.

P.C. Yes. I was always inspired by the modern side of the world. From computers to cosmonauts.

G.W.When do you plan to retire? P.C. I will never do that. 5

G.W.Thank you, Monsieur Cardin. In G. W.'s estimation, you are the greatest fashion maverick of the past 100 years.